Page 26 of Maid in Heaven

“What?” Ava’s eyebrows crawled up her forehead. “You’ve never been married?”

“Nope.”

“Ever been engaged?”

“No.”

“Serious relationship?”

Will hesitated before nodding. “Only one that was ever serious. High school sweetheart.”

“Fizzled out?”

“She cheated.” He cleared his throat and waved at another bartender.

“One sec, hun,” she said, briefly making eye contact.

“Oof. Sorry to hear that.” Ava, unfortunately, could relate. “So, just the one?”

“Yeah, no one else ever hung around more than a month or two. Just never metthe right person.Didn’t want to waste anyone’s time. Just kept things casual for a while.”

Ava nodded, taking it all in. She nervously tapped the cardboard coaster in front of her, wishing there was a beverage on it.

“Some movies make it look so easy, but relationships are so damn hard sometimes.”

“Amen. If I had a drink, I’d cheers to that.”

He held up his empty glass, and she pretended to clink it with a pantomimed one of her own.

Ava suddenly thought back to her wedding day, back to thehope and optimism she’d felt while staring into the eyes of the man who she truly thought would be by her sideforever. Now, the memory was tarnishedfor good. Astain on her brainthatno amount of alcohol or sappy movies could scrub out.She forced a slight smile. “We grow around the pain, though.That stuff never goes away, but our capacity to handle it grows.”

“Damn. Well put.” He smiled.

The bartenderfinally bounced over to themand sighed dramatically.“Ugh! Sorry about that. Some sort of conference just let out at the hotelover there, and we got slammed all of a sudden.”The young woman’s tits were pushed up to her chin in a skin-baringtank top with acowl neck that hung so low patrons could practically see her navel. When she leaned forward on the counter,she gave Will a first-class ticket to the show of herlacy lavender bra. Ava watched, fighting to keep her mouth closed at the shameless display.

If Will noticed,he didn’t show it. His gaze remained on her face with the dedication and restraint of aeunuch.

“Another?” the bartender cooedto Will.

“Yes, thank you,”he answered, sliding over his glass.

“Yeahhhh, buddy.” She snatched it off the bartop and turned to Ava, visibly less peppy. “And what can I get you, ma’am?”

Fuck, did I just getma’amed? How old does she think I am? I’m too young to be a ma’am! I’m only thirty-three, for God’s sake!

Ava swallowed her agitation at the moniker.“Lemon drop martini, please.”

Will looked at her and made a silly face as if to say, ‘That was not what I was expecting.’

“You guys wantin’anything food-wise,” the waitress asked asif reciting the question was as natural as breathing.

“No, thank you. Just the drinks,for now,” Will answered politely before returning his full attention back toAva.

The waitress nodded and walked away.

“So,tell me a little more about yourself. Madisonhascolorfullydescribed you as a ‘workaholic, out of work.’”

Thanks, Madison.

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